William E. Kennard is a Managing Director at The Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm with over $89.3 billion under management.  Before joining The Carlyle Group, Mr. Kennard served as Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission from November 1997 to January 2001.  Mr. Kennard presided over the FCC at an historic time.  During his tenure, he implemented the Telecommunications Act of 1996, designing policies that helped to create an explosion of new wireless phones, brought the Internet to a majority of American households, and made digital age technologies more accessible to rural communities, low income consumers and people with disabilities.

Mr. Kennard served as the FCC's general counsel from December 1993 to November 1997.  Before serving in government, Mr. Kennard was a partner and member of the board of directors of the law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand (now DLA Piper).  He serves on the board of directors of The New York Times Company, Hawaiian Telcom and Insight Communications.

Mr. Kennard graduated from Stanford University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and received his law degree from Yale Law School. He has been awarded honorary degrees from Howard University, Gallaudet University and Long Island University.